ooks and lunch basket in her hand, that
I could not help nodding to her. So she nodded to me, and then _I_
nodded again and smiled, and we each walked along on our own side of the
way. When we came to the corner I thought I would cross over and scrape
some more acquaintance with my little neighbor. Now on the side of her
satchel, I saw, when I came near her, was printed in gold letters,
"Nelly Lawson;" so I said, as cheerily as I could, in my old, quavering
voice:

"Good morning, Neighbor Nelly!"

The little maiden looked up in my face in a shy fashion at first; but
when she saw what a mild, gray-headed old bachelor had bade her good
morning, she took courage, and answered, "Good morning, sir."

"So you are going to school this fine day?"

"Yes; I go to school, but brother Jimmy doesn't; he learns at home. I
think he is going next year. Have you got a baby at your house? We
have."

"No," said I, sighing; "I haven't got any baby; I am an old bachelor.
Will you marry me?"

"Oh, I am too little," she replied quite seriously. "You will have to
wait until I grow up to you."

I laughed, and asked her, "Don't you want to go to market with me before
you go to school? There is plenty of time."

"No," replied my little neighbor, firmly; "I can't go anywheres that
mamma does not know of."

"That's right!" I said. "Don't do anything your mother would disapprove.
Well, Neighbor Nelly, since you won't go to market with me, I must go to
school with you; and tell your mother that Neighbor Josiah Oldbird would
like you to take a walk with him to-morrow; will you?"

"Oh yes! that would be real nice!" said my little neighbor with a
joyous skip.

By this time we were walking along hand in hand; and soon, seeing my
little neighbor look in at the window of the candy shop round the corner
from our street, I thought I would take her in and buy her some candy.
So in we marched, Nelly's great blue eyes dancing with pleased
expectation, and stood close by the counter, waiting for our turn to
come. There were a good many people in the candy shop, and we had to
wait some time; so, to amuse ourselves, Neighbor Nelly and I turned
round, and began looking at the funny folks near us.

There was one very fat old country woman, who seemed to be buying
"quarter or pound," as she said, of every kind of candy in the shop. As
soon as the papers were handed to her she began eating out of them, and
before she left, I should think, she had eaten